What is MIME type "application/cu-seeme"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

application/cu-seeme is a MIME type used by the CuSeeMe video conferencing application. It marks files that help the program manage video sessions.

The file with this MIME type usually has the CU extension. It tells the operating system and applications to handle its content as part of a multimedia video chat.

Main use: It signals that the file is part of a CuSeeMe video conference, leading to proper handling of streaming video and audio.
Functionality: The MIME type helps CuSeeMe know how to process the file data, ensuring the video and audio streams work correctly.
Other uses: It was also part of the protocol that allowed remote participants to join and interact during live video sessions.

For more details on MIME types, see MIME on Wikipedia.

Associated file extensions

.cu

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: application/cu-seeme

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/cu-seeme">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');    
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {    
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/cu-seeme');    
      res.end('Content here');    
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.cu

FAQs

What is the application/cu-seeme MIME type used for?

The MIME type application/cu-seeme is associated with the legacy video conferencing software known as Cu-SeeMe. It indicates that a file contains data necessary to initiate or manage a video chat session, typically using the .cu file extension.

How do I configure a web server to serve .cu files correctly?

To serve Cu-SeeMe files, you must add the MIME type to your server configuration. For Apache, add AddType application/cu-seeme .cu to your .htaccess or config file. For Nginx, include application/cu-seeme cu; inside your mime.types file or types block.

Do modern web browsers support application/cu-seeme?

No, modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge do not natively support application/cu-seeme. If a user clicks a link to a file with this MIME type, the browser will typically prompt the user to download the file rather than playing the video stream within the window.

Which file extension is associated with application/cu-seeme?

This MIME type is almost exclusively associated with the .cu file extension. You can learn more about this specific extension on our cu page.

How can I open a file marked as application/cu-seeme?

Opening these files requires the original Cu-SeeMe client software, which was popular in the 1990s. Because the format is obsolete, modern media players (like VLC) generally do not support it without specific legacy codecs or conversion tools.

Is application/cu-seeme still in use today?

This MIME type is largely obsolete and rarely seen on the modern web. It has been replaced by modern streaming protocols and video codecs such as H.264 (served as video/mp4) and WebRTC standards.

General FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.